Sacked by the "downturn", an unemployed architect touring the country in a bus...

I used to live in New York City. I designed homes for the tycoons of Wall Street; Park Avenue, Scarsdale, Greenwich. It was great fun. And, after years of saving up for a down payment, I was just about to buy my own little place in Fleetwood, half an hour north of the city, when the economy fell apart. Architects are like canaries in a coal mine when the economy slows, and true to form, there were massive layoffs in firms all over the country. Devastation of the profession. So, I decided to try to find something else to do for a while. I bought a 23' school bus and I'm on the road to see if I can figure out what that might be.

Friday, February 5, 2010

20 second post

I’m in a burb of New Orleans called Uptown, parked in front of a nice person’s house, Alicia. She lived and traveled in buses years ago and showed me many pictures, snap shots and published, of her and her friends’ elaborate bus projects. We’re going to a costume ball tonight (at left, finding me a costume in her house full of costumes and puppets.)

Later, at the Apocalypse Ball....

(No, I'm not in blue, I'm holding the camera. Alicia is playing a drum, in a red traditional Mexican dress reminiscent of Frida Kahlo.

Oh, the end of the world is in three days. I thought I should mention it.

3 comments:

I was wearing a white dinner jacket on the back of which Alicia had embroidered a large voodoo skull with X's for eyes, and attached to the epaulets were black silk roses. My felt derby had a 3 of diamonds and more voodoo bric-a-brac. My high performance silver grey long underwear and 1980'2 wide toed black shoes completed the suit in a weird way.

If anyone out there, like me, attempts to give narrators their own voice but has been at a loss for what voice to assign the Tourtoise I have good news.

Close your eyes.. not yet, finish reading this comment, first. Imagine the film, Kelly's Heroes with Clint Eastwood and Telly Sevalis. Now imagine Donald Sutherland as the character, Sgt. Oddball. Allow your cillia to resonate to the dulcimer tones of Sgt. Oddball explaining that, "the bridge will be there, and it'll be beautiful lovin' bridge..." and you've got the right voice.

Convert my Diesel to Vegetable Oil

CONVERT MY DIESEL BUS to run on a more environmentally fuel: FRENCH FRY OIL, collected from restaurants.

If you'd like to contribute to this fund, send whatever you can via PayPal to RoyPertchik@GMail.com. Put "Vegetable Oil" in the PayPal message.

Thanks!!!!!

5/13/2010 Another generous contribution, Thank you BSN and MP. $2,168 to go...3/29/2010 Another very generous contribution has arrived Thank you so much MC and BSN! Only $2,288 to go!

3/15/2010 Much thanks to the Katrina Relief Volunteers who passed the hat. Only $2,488 to go.

ME

(click on my card to see some architectural projects)

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